Chapter 1
Slowly Sphinx walked down the wide hallway of her school.
The other students either ignored her or whispered as she walked by them.
She was considered to be a freak, ever sense her mother was killed eleven years ago when she was six.
After her mothers death Sphinx wouldn't talk to anyone.
A friend of the family named Violet had taken her in. She was a very old woman; about 80 years old and she taught Sphinx many things that people thought odd. Today Sphinx wore black boots that made her an inch taller than her 5 feet 6inch frame, with black skintight jeans, a shiny silvery purple gothic T- shirt and a black leather jacket that went down to her thighs. Her long fingernails were painted the same silvery purple color as her T-shirt. She had her black hair pulled back in a braid that hung down past her knees. Her dark green eyes shined with small golden flecks in them. She had just turned the corner when somebody slammed into her from behind. Sphinx tumbled to the ground. Slowly she looked at her books that laid sprawled everywhere then to the person that ran into her. Looking up at what she saw made her freeze for a moment.
A moment too long for a football player noticed and yelled, "Oh man, look out I think she likes you!"
Sphinx narrowed her eyes and turned to the boy.
He swallowed hard; "I was just kidding." He said, his voice cracking.
Sphinx stood up and glared at him.
He turned and ran off.
Sphinx was also known for her short temper and amazing fighting skills. The boy that ran into her smiled sweetly and picked up her books, handing them to her. "Sorry, I didn't see you." He said in a hard, yet velvety- soft voice. She grabbed her books roughly from him and held them tightly to her chest. The boy frowned, and asked this time with more softness, "Are you okay?" Slowly Sphinx looked him over. He was very good looking, about 6'3 maybe, and around eighteen years old. He was lean but strong looking with short dirty blond hair. He had an intelligent face that went well with his wicked, slightly tilted, silvery-blue eyes. He wore a tight fitting black T- shirt with snug black pants and black boots.
A vampire? Here at school and a lamia, a very powerful lamia, she thought to herself. Sphinx saw his eyes widen a little and knew he had read her mind. She put up her mind shields and shoved past him.
Gotta go find Violet, gotta tell her that there are more vamp's here. She thought.
Sphinx went running at top speed out of the school and down the street towards Auburn Hollow Drive.
As she opened the door to the two-story house that she shared with Violet she knew that a few Night World creatures were already here.
She had just pulled her weapon out, it was four feet long and an inch in diameter; the wood was a deep glossy red with irregular black marks in it.
Snake wood.
When a vamp jumped down from the stairs, Sphinx let the adrenaline flow through her body, and took a fighting stance.
He smiled at her and pulled out a stake.
Japanese oak, heavy, well seasoned, resilient.
Good choice, She thought.
She faked toward his wrist and then tried to sweep his legs out from underneath him. He blocked and tried for a trap.
They slowly circled each other.
She tried a strike at his temple then at his throat.
He blocked and backed up a little, he went for a side sweep, but she countered.
Whack!
Wood hit wood.
Sphinx kicked him in the arm and spun backwards away from him. He came forward and drove up wards trying to catch her stick from below, then he twisted, sweeping her stick in a circle, forcing her off balance.
She tried to recover but fell on the floor.
He tried to slam the stake downwards but she kicked him in the stomach then in the head sending him flying backwards.
Sphinx got to her feet and blocked just as he took a swipe at her head.
Wham!
It was a different sound from the crisp whack when wood hits wood. It was softer.
Duller.
The sound of wood hitting flesh and bone.
Sphinx gasped as she felt her right arm break just below the elbow. She dropped the stick and kicked him in the head. Bending she grabbed the stick with her left hand and staked him in the heart.
He yelled and fell to the floor.
Sphinx watched for a second as he started to decompose.
She ran to the kitchen when she heard Violet's screams.
As she entered the kitchen she saw five vampires, two werewolves, a witch and a shape-shifter.
One of the vampire's back was turned. He had Violet in a tight headlock and was looking at the old woman's neck appetizingly.
Sphinx threw the stake as hard as she could into the vampires back. He stiffened then fell to the floor freeing Violet.
All of them but Violet turned to look at her.
Just as the old woman was backing up another vampire grabbed her.
Sphinx face changed from an angry expression to a Don't-even-think-about-it- or-you'll-die expression.
He looked around at the others then smiled.
"Let her go," Sphinx said in a soft but deadly whisper, "or I will kill you. She is my friend."
Violet's eyes widen as she heard Sphinx talk for the first time.
The seventeen-year-old didn't even speak to her.
They all laughed.
"What you? Against all 16 of us?!" A werewolf asked laughing.
"Fifteen, I killed two of you guys already." Sphinx said and pulled a five- inch silver knife with a smooth black handle out of her boot.
She removed the handle to show that it was also a wooden knife on that end.
The witch's eyes flashed and she turned to Violet and hissed, "You might think you have taught her well, but she will die today."
With that she blew a fine powder at her and Violet's head fell back unconscious. The vampire that held her gave Violet to the witch then came with the others forming a half circle around Sphinx.
"Stop!" a familiar male voice, yelled from behind her.
Slowly Sphinx walked down the wide hallway of her school.
The other students either ignored her or whispered as she walked by them.
She was considered to be a freak, ever sense her mother was killed eleven years ago when she was six.
After her mothers death Sphinx wouldn't talk to anyone.
A friend of the family named Violet had taken her in. She was a very old woman; about 80 years old and she taught Sphinx many things that people thought odd. Today Sphinx wore black boots that made her an inch taller than her 5 feet 6inch frame, with black skintight jeans, a shiny silvery purple gothic T- shirt and a black leather jacket that went down to her thighs. Her long fingernails were painted the same silvery purple color as her T-shirt. She had her black hair pulled back in a braid that hung down past her knees. Her dark green eyes shined with small golden flecks in them. She had just turned the corner when somebody slammed into her from behind. Sphinx tumbled to the ground. Slowly she looked at her books that laid sprawled everywhere then to the person that ran into her. Looking up at what she saw made her freeze for a moment.
A moment too long for a football player noticed and yelled, "Oh man, look out I think she likes you!"
Sphinx narrowed her eyes and turned to the boy.
He swallowed hard; "I was just kidding." He said, his voice cracking.
Sphinx stood up and glared at him.
He turned and ran off.
Sphinx was also known for her short temper and amazing fighting skills. The boy that ran into her smiled sweetly and picked up her books, handing them to her. "Sorry, I didn't see you." He said in a hard, yet velvety- soft voice. She grabbed her books roughly from him and held them tightly to her chest. The boy frowned, and asked this time with more softness, "Are you okay?" Slowly Sphinx looked him over. He was very good looking, about 6'3 maybe, and around eighteen years old. He was lean but strong looking with short dirty blond hair. He had an intelligent face that went well with his wicked, slightly tilted, silvery-blue eyes. He wore a tight fitting black T- shirt with snug black pants and black boots.
A vampire? Here at school and a lamia, a very powerful lamia, she thought to herself. Sphinx saw his eyes widen a little and knew he had read her mind. She put up her mind shields and shoved past him.
Gotta go find Violet, gotta tell her that there are more vamp's here. She thought.
Sphinx went running at top speed out of the school and down the street towards Auburn Hollow Drive.
As she opened the door to the two-story house that she shared with Violet she knew that a few Night World creatures were already here.
She had just pulled her weapon out, it was four feet long and an inch in diameter; the wood was a deep glossy red with irregular black marks in it.
Snake wood.
When a vamp jumped down from the stairs, Sphinx let the adrenaline flow through her body, and took a fighting stance.
He smiled at her and pulled out a stake.
Japanese oak, heavy, well seasoned, resilient.
Good choice, She thought.
She faked toward his wrist and then tried to sweep his legs out from underneath him. He blocked and tried for a trap.
They slowly circled each other.
She tried a strike at his temple then at his throat.
He blocked and backed up a little, he went for a side sweep, but she countered.
Whack!
Wood hit wood.
Sphinx kicked him in the arm and spun backwards away from him. He came forward and drove up wards trying to catch her stick from below, then he twisted, sweeping her stick in a circle, forcing her off balance.
She tried to recover but fell on the floor.
He tried to slam the stake downwards but she kicked him in the stomach then in the head sending him flying backwards.
Sphinx got to her feet and blocked just as he took a swipe at her head.
Wham!
It was a different sound from the crisp whack when wood hits wood. It was softer.
Duller.
The sound of wood hitting flesh and bone.
Sphinx gasped as she felt her right arm break just below the elbow. She dropped the stick and kicked him in the head. Bending she grabbed the stick with her left hand and staked him in the heart.
He yelled and fell to the floor.
Sphinx watched for a second as he started to decompose.
She ran to the kitchen when she heard Violet's screams.
As she entered the kitchen she saw five vampires, two werewolves, a witch and a shape-shifter.
One of the vampire's back was turned. He had Violet in a tight headlock and was looking at the old woman's neck appetizingly.
Sphinx threw the stake as hard as she could into the vampires back. He stiffened then fell to the floor freeing Violet.
All of them but Violet turned to look at her.
Just as the old woman was backing up another vampire grabbed her.
Sphinx face changed from an angry expression to a Don't-even-think-about-it- or-you'll-die expression.
He looked around at the others then smiled.
"Let her go," Sphinx said in a soft but deadly whisper, "or I will kill you. She is my friend."
Violet's eyes widen as she heard Sphinx talk for the first time.
The seventeen-year-old didn't even speak to her.
They all laughed.
"What you? Against all 16 of us?!" A werewolf asked laughing.
"Fifteen, I killed two of you guys already." Sphinx said and pulled a five- inch silver knife with a smooth black handle out of her boot.
She removed the handle to show that it was also a wooden knife on that end.
The witch's eyes flashed and she turned to Violet and hissed, "You might think you have taught her well, but she will die today."
With that she blew a fine powder at her and Violet's head fell back unconscious. The vampire that held her gave Violet to the witch then came with the others forming a half circle around Sphinx.
"Stop!" a familiar male voice, yelled from behind her.